Author Topic: What are you READING right now?  (Read 762513 times)

Tyson

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1200 on: August 14, 2018, 01:02:13 PM »
...I suppose high school teachers are thinking that their classes may be the only chance for some students to develop cultural literacy in these works.

I think one could argue that it would be best if they attempted to just get students to enjoy reading. Almost anything. Instead, I'm afraid we too often get kids who now hate reading because their exposure was to books that are not for them. 

I heard Kevin Kelly interviewed once (author and founder of Wired magazine, a neat dude if you read up on him) where his final piece of advice to everyone listening was "If you don't already, read at least ten books each year. They can be about anything.  It will change your life."

I can't imagine life without reading.  We've all heard the quote about cowards dying a thousands deaths, where the brave man dies only once. 

I think - and perhaps I've read this someplace, I don't know - that people who don't read live only one life, but readers live many.

For some people it is true that reading is not for them.  They might find engagement with cinema or music.  Both cinema and music can produce art equal to anything produced in books. 

Of course I love all 3, and I end up with not enough time to experience all of it.  Never enough time....

nnls

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1201 on: August 14, 2018, 09:44:48 PM »
Just finished reading
"For today I am a Boy" - Kim Fu

I didnt really enjoy this, I found it hard to like the main character though I understood and felt sympathy for her situation.

and starting

"The Bankers Wife" -Cristina Alger
I am enjoying it so far

chaskavitch

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1202 on: August 15, 2018, 06:28:46 AM »
...I suppose high school teachers are thinking that their classes may be the only chance for some students to develop cultural literacy in these works.

I think one could argue that it would be best if they attempted to just get students to enjoy reading. Almost anything. Instead, I'm afraid we too often get kids who now hate reading because their exposure was to books that are not for them. 

I heard Kevin Kelly interviewed once (author and founder of Wired magazine, a neat dude if you read up on him) where his final piece of advice to everyone listening was "If you don't already, read at least ten books each year. They can be about anything.  It will change your life."

I can't imagine life without reading.  We've all heard the quote about cowards dying a thousands deaths, where the brave man dies only once. 

I think - and perhaps I've read this someplace, I don't know - that people who don't read live only one life, but readers live many.

For some people it is true that reading is not for them.  They might find engagement with cinema or music.  Both cinema and music can produce art equal to anything produced in books. 

Of course I love all 3, and I end up with not enough time to experience all of it.  Never enough time....

As an opposing point, one of my FB acquaintances (who loves to read) posted a meme yesterday that said "Reading is just staring at a dead piece of wood for hours and hallucinating."

I can't imagine not reading.  I have read 6(?) books in the last two weeks.  Granted, they're all re-reads of a mystery series I love, plus the Golden Compass, so they're not exactly deep or "literary", but still.  I'd rather read than watch a movie almost any day.

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1203 on: August 15, 2018, 08:16:39 AM »
Just finished "Ilium" by Dan Simmons (most famous for the Hyperion Cantos series).  *insert head exploding smiley here*

Tyson

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1204 on: August 15, 2018, 08:54:17 AM »
...I suppose high school teachers are thinking that their classes may be the only chance for some students to develop cultural literacy in these works.

I think one could argue that it would be best if they attempted to just get students to enjoy reading. Almost anything. Instead, I'm afraid we too often get kids who now hate reading because their exposure was to books that are not for them. 

I heard Kevin Kelly interviewed once (author and founder of Wired magazine, a neat dude if you read up on him) where his final piece of advice to everyone listening was "If you don't already, read at least ten books each year. They can be about anything.  It will change your life."

I can't imagine life without reading.  We've all heard the quote about cowards dying a thousands deaths, where the brave man dies only once. 

I think - and perhaps I've read this someplace, I don't know - that people who don't read live only one life, but readers live many.

For some people it is true that reading is not for them.  They might find engagement with cinema or music.  Both cinema and music can produce art equal to anything produced in books. 

Of course I love all 3, and I end up with not enough time to experience all of it.  Never enough time....

As an opposing point, one of my FB acquaintances (who loves to read) posted a meme yesterday that said "Reading is just staring at a dead piece of wood for hours and hallucinating."

I can't imagine not reading.  I have read 6(?) books in the last two weeks.  Granted, they're all re-reads of a mystery series I love, plus the Golden Compass, so they're not exactly deep or "literary", but still.  I'd rather read than watch a movie almost any day.

Some people are just more visual.  Not saying your FB acquaintance isn't an idiot (sounds like they are).  I'm just saying that I'd put something by Tarkovsky or Bela Tarr or Kubrick against anything produced by any other art form and it'd stand up very nicely. 

I'm not speaking about people that don't read and would rather watch The Bachelor or The Hangover or and Adam Sandler movie.  I'm talking about cinephiles.  Bibliophiles are not better than cinephiles.  Any art form can produce crap and any art form can produce sublime works. 

turketron

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1205 on: August 15, 2018, 09:12:12 AM »
Just finished "Ilium" by Dan Simmons (most famous for the Hyperion Cantos series).  *insert head exploding smiley here*

Man, Ilium/Olympos were weird, but I did end up liking them. I was pretty familiar with the Iliad going in, but having never read/seen The Tempest I'm not sure if familiarity with that would make it easier to understand. I think the Hyperion series is still his best work (that I've read, at least) although I really enjoyed The Terror as well.

chaskavitch

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1206 on: August 15, 2018, 10:48:01 AM »
Just finished "Ilium" by Dan Simmons (most famous for the Hyperion Cantos series).  *insert head exploding smiley here*

Man, Ilium/Olympos were weird, but I did end up liking them. I was pretty familiar with the Iliad going in, but having never read/seen The Tempest I'm not sure if familiarity with that would make it easier to understand. I think the Hyperion series is still his best work (that I've read, at least) although I really enjoyed The Terror as well.

Dan Simmons is awesome :)

cavewoman

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1207 on: August 27, 2018, 10:39:44 AM »


We just watched the movie again, and DH apparently completely forgot the ending?  I don't know how that happens with a story like this.  I also didn't know there was a book, now I'll have to read it :)

re: Dickens, I'm convinced that high school ruins classic literature for many of us because being forced to read something before you have the maturity to appreciate it is counterproductive.  Not to mention the vocabulary, particularly the terms for things that do not exist in our modern world, can be frustrating.  Being older and having been exposed to period movies and such, makes it much less of an obstacle. 

Going back and reading (or re-reading) some of the classics can be a much more enjoyable experience.

But I still hate Grapes of Wrath with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns and will never open that book again. 


This sounds right.  There are a lot of books that I read in HS and remember hating (for example, Wuthering Heights, Ethan Frome, and yes, Grapes of Wrath) that would probably make a lot more sense now.  I should probably stop my YA streak and read a real novel again.

It is not oinly the age, it is also the difference of "must" and "want".

I - as a guy! - even read Pride and Prejudice. But it took me two or three month. It wasn't THAT bad a book because I could take breakes ;)
In school in two weeks instead? And then "talking about what your think" or even worse "what you feel", at age 16? :D



It probably didn't help that I read Grapes of Wrath in basically one weekend.  I procrastinated a lot on that one.  And my teacher at the time specifically warned us that her questions on the test would not be found in any Cliff's Notes or film adaptations.   She asked things like "what color were Tom's shoes?"  (yellow)  and "What did the sign in the store window say?" (caveat emptor). 

As much as I hate GoW to this day, I will say this:  I happened upon a slight little book by Steinbeck a few years ago called Travels with Charlie which is a non-fiction account of his cross country road trip in 1960 accompanied by his dog Charlie.  At a breezy 200ish pages, I can recommend this one to others without hesitation.

Funny, I only check in on this thread every so often, but I'm currently reading the Grapes of Wrath.  For the first time, so I have no high school hate :)  I can see why though, the every other chapter of weird inner monologue or even dialogue is sometimes hard to get through.

Recently finished:
Artemis by Andy Weir
The Bands of Mourning, Mistborn Book 6 by Brandon Sanderson
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
Shadows of Self, Mistborn Book 5 by Brandon Sanderson
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman


Up next: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.


I love the history feature on my library's overdrive page, otherwise I'd never remember what I've read!

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1208 on: August 27, 2018, 11:30:54 AM »
Happened upon a new Jim Butcher short story collection from the Dresden Files universe at the library this weekend.  Yay!

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1209 on: August 27, 2018, 06:13:58 PM »
 finished the Attention Merchants by Tim Wu. A bit dry, but informative in how it brought many topics together.

Now listening to Why Buddhism is True, and really liking it although I think it would have benefited from a more dynamic narrator.

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1210 on: August 28, 2018, 06:46:31 AM »
A book about ancient Egypt. It starts right at the beginning of the archaeological record with some pots and jars. 

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1211 on: August 28, 2018, 08:23:05 AM »
A book about ancient Egypt. It starts right at the beginning of the archaeological record with some pots and jars.

Interesting. How did they got the pots into the book?

;)

Ever heard of Böbekli Tepe in Anatolia?
If not, change it. It is the oldest known permanent settlement, and they even brewed beer (which played a big role in Egypt, thats why I was thinking about it) there.

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1212 on: August 28, 2018, 08:48:26 AM »
A book about ancient Egypt. It starts right at the beginning of the archaeological record with some pots and jars.

Interesting. How did they got the pots into the book?

;)

Ever heard of Böbekli Tepe in Anatolia?
If not, change it. It is the oldest known permanent settlement, and they even brewed beer (which played a big role in Egypt, thats why I was thinking about it) there.

Lol, the book actually has drawings of the artifacts. It's pretty neat! They mention Badarian pottery, which is really distinctive and advanced. :)

After this book I've got one on Istanbul. I've always wanted to visit Turkey (and Egypt for that matter). I'll look out for Böbekli Tepe in the books. It's pretty neat reading about how humanity got our start!

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1213 on: September 03, 2018, 01:02:26 PM »
I'm curious how others are consuming their literature.  Do you prefer a Kindle or other electronic format or physical books?  Where do you like to read?  Do you have a certain place or time of day that is your primary reading zone?

I do most of my recreational reading in bed before going to sleep.  That has been my habit since childhood.  I remember being so excited about a good book that I would take a bowl of chips or a pop tart and a drink and go to bed 2 hours before lights out just so I could spend that time engrossed in the story.  I have wonderful memories of the summer night sounds on our farm with my bedroom window open and a small electric fan blowing from my bedside table while I read The Fellowship of the Ring, or Rendezvous with Rama

I now also enjoy sitting outside on my suburban back porch during the nice seasons, with a coffee or an adult beverage and reading with the background sounds of the breeze, the birds, and the wind chimes.  When I plan my staycations, I always check the forecast so I can spend lots of time out there reading.

I have a fondness for physical books but I'll admit they have some serious downsides.  The physical size and weight of large books, such as biographies or histories can be bothersome.  Just holding them up and open for an hour or more can become tiresome.  I sometimes joke that I have "book thumb" from my reading in repose.  Carrying around a physical book with you all the time for standing in line or waiting on the oil change or sitting at a bar dining alone would also be a practical problem.  Reading a bunch of books at the same time becomes a space issue on the bedside table.  I've got stacks of in-progress or just-about-to-read-next (yeah, right) books in a few places in my house.  I move them to dust sometimes.

All those issues aside, the thing I most appreciate about physical books is that I can write a note inside the cover with the date I read it.  I have many books that have multiple entries; each a re-read of a favorite.  I think my record holder is probably Lord of the Rings, which I've read at least 15 times. I can't be precise because I read it for the first time when I was around 12, and I wasn't in the date recording habit back then.  Sometimes it's nice to go pick a book off the shelf and guess how long ago I read it, and find almost always that I've substantially underestimated.  While I could make the note someplace else, like a spreadsheet or a library ledger, it's just not the same as holding the book in my hands and turning the page to see my scrawled notation.

However, much as I love that about real books, the convenience of electronic books is hard to beat.  I can open the app on my phone while I stand in line waiting to order sandwich and I can easily set it aside whenever there's someone to talk to.  Having access to an entire library of books in an instant is wonderful. 

I've read much more diversely since ebooks became ubiquitous.  There are lots of old books that are free (or virtually so) and can therefore be downloaded and just sort of nibbled upon in 5 minute increments.   I recently downloaded from amazon the Teddy Roosevelt first book, a history, The Naval War of 1812, which is considered to be one of the best naval accounts of war and was taught at the naval academy.   Would I ever have read any of that without the ease of downloading it the moment I learned of its existence?   Similarly, I have recently downloaded books of poetry by Coleridge and Shelley.  Would I ever have read any part of those without the impulse 'buy' (they were free) that is available at the push of a button? And since I paid nothing for these, I have no guilt about reading 5-10 pages and then leaving it for good if it doesn't keep my interest.  It won't sit there on my coffee table in accusatory silence for 3 months like the old Netflix guilt-inducing DVDs used to do.

Holding up my kindle while lying in bed is a much less taxing feat, as well. 

There is, in my opinion, a downside to the convenience factor.  I have found myself re-reading a book from my digital library as a default, rushed choice when I'm bored and can't quickly decide on a new text.  Then, beginning an old favorite, I keep reading it, and incur the opportunity cost of not reading something new. 

The thing that I find somewhat disquieting, I suppose, about electronic books is that they somehow feel exposed, or at risk in the digital, networked world.  The idea that some entity like Amazon or a repressive government could somehow take away or even edit these works gives me pause.  Rationally, I know that my electronic copy of Seveneves is in fact much more secure than my dead tree copy of Battle Cry of Freedom, but I just can't shake the weird fear that someone could decide one day that Huckleberry Finn is simply too racist to be allowed in the culture, and should be cleaned up.  Perhaps a book is considered subversive or disparaging to some high potentate and is changed to reflect a more palatable version of reality. 

I don't recall the specifics, but I do know that Amazon did remove books at one time from customers' Kindles, due to some sort of legal/financial bruhaha with the publishing house or something. 

 






Will

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1214 on: September 03, 2018, 04:32:21 PM »
I'm not 62-70 or a couple, but I am reading: 

The $214,000 Mistake: How to Double Your Social Security & Maximize Your IRAs, Proven Strategies for Couples Ages 62-70

by James Lange.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1215 on: September 04, 2018, 06:50:55 AM »
I'm not 62-70 or a couple, but I am reading: 

The $214,000 Mistake: How to Double Your Social Security & Maximize Your IRAs, Proven Strategies for Couples Ages 62-70

by James Lange.

Any good Will? I am thinking that I need to start working on Social Security strategies since I am nearing 60.
Please post your review.

chaskavitch

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1216 on: September 04, 2018, 07:26:39 AM »
I'm curious how others are consuming their literature.  Do you prefer a Kindle or other electronic format or physical books?  Where do you like to read?  Do you have a certain place or time of day that is your primary reading zone?
...

I have a Kindle, and as much as I love having a physical book, the convenience of the Kindle is awesome. 

I read quickly enough that if I go camping or anywhere that requires luggage, I end up with a ridiculous proportion of my bag being taken up by books.  I'm with you on the "In progress/to-be-read someday" piles as well.  I have one at work and one on my nightstand, as well as a library book stack in our living room that my husband moves around.  He thinks it doesn't change, but it does :)

I love that I can reserve ebooks through multiple libraries and that I don't have to go pick them up at the library or remember to return them.  Obviously you can't find every book you'd like in digital format, but there are an awful lot of them.  Realistically, I have two and a half full-size bookshelves completely full of my favorite books/some classics I still feel like I should read, so I still have plenty of physical books.   I have two copies of A Little Princess because I had one, but then found another with the same illustrations that I grew up with and had to have it, and my husband and I somehow ended up with three copies of Ender's Game when we got married and combined book collections.

My biggest problem now is that I recently broke my Kindle Keyboard that I've had since 2010 (threw something heavy on it on accident and borked the screen), and I don't love that the Kindle Paperwhite is touchscreen.  Sometimes I turn the pages on accident, sometimes they don't want to turn at all, and sometimes I'm eating something a little messy and I feel like a Philistine getting smudgy fingerprints all over the screen.

I do most of my reading before bed (and after, I suppose) as well.  I was definitely the kid who hid a book and a flashlight under my pillow before bedtime and stayed up until 4 on a school night to finish Jane Eyre the first time I read it.  I've always brought books with me to unlikely places, but it's much easier to read everywhere now that I can throw my Kindle in my purse - waiting rooms, in the car, over lunch at work, while my toddler is re-watching the same show for the 4th time...   

I never considered the possibility/probability of electronic books being stealth-edited or removed without notice.  That is disturbing now that you've brought it up.  I guess I'll stop purging my physical books, just in case :)

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1217 on: September 04, 2018, 07:47:08 AM »
I'm curious how others are consuming their literature.  Do you prefer a Kindle or other electronic format or physical books?  Where do you like to read?  Do you have a certain place or time of day that is your primary reading zone?


I listen to Audible anytime I'm commuting alone (bike/car).  I like the feature to set the speed.


I have a Kindle Paperwhite for reading.  The main time is first thing in the morning and winding down at night.  I also prefer how lightweight it is.  The built in backlight is also very useful.  If I have time to read and didn't bring my Kindle, I will read using the Kindle app on my phone.  They stay in sync as long as my Kindle has WiFi.


I don't read very many paper books.  I don't keep physical books after I finish them unless I constantly loan them out.

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1218 on: September 04, 2018, 07:51:36 AM »
I'm curious how others are consuming their literature.  Do you prefer a Kindle or other electronic format or physical books?  Where do you like to read?  Do you have a certain place or time of day that is your primary reading zone?
...

...
I have two copies of A Little Princess because I had one, but then found another with the same illustrations that I grew up with and had to have it, and my husband and I somehow ended up with three copies of Ender's Game when we got married and combined book collections.

My biggest problem now is that I recently broke my Kindle Keyboard that I've had since 2010 (threw something heavy on it on accident and borked the screen), and I don't love that the Kindle Paperwhite is touchscreen.  Sometimes I turn the pages on accident, sometimes they don't want to turn at all, and sometimes I'm eating something a little messy and I feel like a Philistine getting smudgy fingerprints all over the screen.

...

I have 4 different editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, having started with the mass market cheap paperbacks as a kid, and then buying nicer paperback versions and even the hard cover consolidated edition with the large map.  That one's a bit cumbersome to actually read, though...

I have a kindle touch, and I like it though it has started to slow down recently.  It takes 4-5 seconds now to turn the page, which is a bit annoying.  I'm tempted to upgrade to the paperwhite but it seems wasteful. 
« Last Edit: September 04, 2018, 07:55:13 AM by TempusFugit »

Will

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1219 on: September 04, 2018, 08:01:38 AM »
I'm not 62-70 or a couple, but I am reading: 

The $214,000 Mistake: How to Double Your Social Security & Maximize Your IRAs, Proven Strategies for Couples Ages 62-70

by James Lange.

Any good Will? I am thinking that I need to start working on Social Security strategies since I am nearing 60.
Please post your review.

It was fine, although it was REALLY geared towards couples, so I skipped a lot.  Basically what it boils down to is: wait until 70 to apply/collect, and be sure to convert  your traditional IRA/401k to Roth in those "in-between" years.  I got it for free on my Kindle, and if you go their often-pimped website (https://paytaxeslater.com/) you can listen to it for free, I believe (and probably download the book too). 

Will

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1220 on: September 04, 2018, 08:10:06 AM »
I almost exclusively consume my content on my Kindle Paperwhite, and most of my reading is done at bedtime.  However, I do still enjoy reading when I can, so if my laptop isn't handy, I will read during meals or in the middle of the day or whenever!

I do try to keep a paperback around for reading on the beach, as I don't want to expose my Kindle to water and/or sand.

After skimming through most of my previous book, I am now reading Into the Water: A Novel by Paula Hawkins.

sui generis

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1221 on: September 04, 2018, 08:34:34 AM »
 I'm currently reading Beloved.

I use a kindle paper white and have pretty much fully transitioned. It's been years since I've used a dead tree book. However, even with cards at 2 large metropolitan library systems, I fear I'm getting close to running out of ebook options. Sure, I could browse and find more I might be interested in, but what about the 30 on my reading list that aren't available in audio or ebook? I can't just ignore those! Now that I'm retired, I expect to have time, and hopefully the wherewithal, to go pick up hard copies.

I find aging to be a real problem with reading. I used to read anywhere in any configuration. Hanging off my bed, sitting cross legged, on a park bench, and my favorite, just laying on my stomach basically in cobra pose. But now that I've passed 40, my back won't spend more than 20 minutes in cobra. And park benches are hard! And and and...I mean, I'm only 41... at this rate, I'm not sure what I'll still be able to do by 60, much less 80 or 90.

My other problem is that after spending so many years reading for pleasure only at bedtime (except on vacation), I have a very Pavlovian response to reading. It makes me so sleepy! With my new FIREd life, I am going to have to retrain myself so I can read at any time of day again, just like when I was a kid. Reading anytime and anywhere was honestly the only thing I loved about being a kid, and I'm glad it's something I can recapture.

Cookie78

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1222 on: September 04, 2018, 10:25:27 AM »
Usually I read paper books. The past year or two I've enjoyed many audiobooks which was great for listening to while driving or doing chores or tactile hobbies. When I was away from my city the past year I downloaded a lot of digital books from the library, since I couldn't pick up paper copies. But I don't have a kindle so I'd read them on my laptop or my phone.

What I find hard lately (by which I mean the past 4+ years) is concentration. Unless I'm stuck on the bus, and even then sometimes, I can only concentrate reading for a few pages at a time. I expect it has something to do with the internet/forums/social media rapid fire information input trend. My brain is now trained to expect little hits of superficial info and struggles with concentrating on longer term in depth info. I notice this especially in the first half of a book, and less so in the second half when I'm already captivated and involved in a story.

I'm not sure what to do about this other than less internet and more reading.

Tyson

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1223 on: September 04, 2018, 10:51:22 AM »
I'm currently reading Beloved.

I use a kindle paper white and have pretty much fully transitioned. It's been years since I've used a dead tree book. However, even with cards at 2 large metropolitan library systems, I fear I'm getting close to running out of ebook options. Sure, I could browse and find more I might be interested in, but what about the 30 on my reading list that aren't available in audio or ebook? I can't just ignore those! Now that I'm retired, I expect to have time, and hopefully the wherewithal, to go pick up hard copies.

I find aging to be a real problem with reading. I used to read anywhere in any configuration. Hanging off my bed, sitting cross legged, on a park bench, and my favorite, just laying on my stomach basically in cobra pose. But now that I've passed 40, my back won't spend more than 20 minutes in cobra. And park benches are hard! And and and...I mean, I'm only 41... at this rate, I'm not sure what I'll still be able to do by 60, much less 80 or 90.

My other problem is that after spending so many years reading for pleasure only at bedtime (except on vacation), I have a very Pavlovian response to reading. It makes me so sleepy! With my new FIREd life, I am going to have to retrain myself so I can read at any time of day again, just like when I was a kid. Reading anytime and anywhere was honestly the only thing I loved about being a kid, and I'm glad it's something I can recapture.

What a great problem to have!  I recommend having a bit of coffee while you read during the day, to help pep you up a bit during those initial retraining days.

Noodle

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1224 on: September 04, 2018, 11:50:14 AM »
I read a mix of e-books and paper books--the "dead-tree" editions generally because the titles aren't available in e-book, or the wait for the digital copy is ridiculously long at the library. I also much prefer reading graphic novels in paper format. I read the digital books on my tablet, which I always have around.

I usually have multiple things going at once, but recently I've gotten back into reading some classics. I did a book from the Oz series, and a couple of Edwardian short story writers, and am currently reading an account by one of the Titanic survivors. I don't use the iBooks app on my tablet very often, but it works great for the free online classics from Project Gutenberg.

grantmeaname

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1225 on: September 04, 2018, 04:52:53 PM »
Usually I read paper books. The past year or two I've enjoyed many audiobooks which was great for listening to while driving or doing chores or tactile hobbies. When I was away from my city the past year I downloaded a lot of digital books from the library, since I couldn't pick up paper copies. But I don't have a kindle so I'd read them on my laptop or my phone.

What I find hard lately (by which I mean the past 4+ years) is concentration. Unless I'm stuck on the bus, and even then sometimes, I can only concentrate reading for a few pages at a time. I expect it has something to do with the internet/forums/social media rapid fire information input trend. My brain is now trained to expect little hits of superficial info and struggles with concentrating on longer term in depth info. I notice this especially in the first half of a book, and less so in the second half when I'm already captivated and involved in a story.

I'm not sure what to do about this other than less internet and more reading.
Read Deep Work by Cal Newport. Your diagnosis rings true to me - you have to relearn to focus after years of living with a little device whose goal is to steal your attention away as many times per day as it is able.

Cookie78

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1226 on: September 05, 2018, 07:49:43 AM »
Usually I read paper books. The past year or two I've enjoyed many audiobooks which was great for listening to while driving or doing chores or tactile hobbies. When I was away from my city the past year I downloaded a lot of digital books from the library, since I couldn't pick up paper copies. But I don't have a kindle so I'd read them on my laptop or my phone.

What I find hard lately (by which I mean the past 4+ years) is concentration. Unless I'm stuck on the bus, and even then sometimes, I can only concentrate reading for a few pages at a time. I expect it has something to do with the internet/forums/social media rapid fire information input trend. My brain is now trained to expect little hits of superficial info and struggles with concentrating on longer term in depth info. I notice this especially in the first half of a book, and less so in the second half when I'm already captivated and involved in a story.

I'm not sure what to do about this other than less internet and more reading.
Read Deep Work by Cal Newport. Your diagnosis rings true to me - you have to relearn to focus after years of living with a little device whose goal is to steal your attention away as many times per day as it is able.

Requested from library. Thanks for the suggestion. :)

LennStar

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1227 on: September 05, 2018, 10:38:38 AM »
Usually I read paper books. The past year or two I've enjoyed many audiobooks which was great for listening to while driving or doing chores or tactile hobbies. When I was away from my city the past year I downloaded a lot of digital books from the library, since I couldn't pick up paper copies. But I don't have a kindle so I'd read them on my laptop or my phone.

What I find hard lately (by which I mean the past 4+ years) is concentration. Unless I'm stuck on the bus, and even then sometimes, I can only concentrate reading for a few pages at a time. I expect it has something to do with the internet/forums/social media rapid fire information input trend. My brain is now trained to expect little hits of superficial info and struggles with concentrating on longer term in depth info. I notice this especially in the first half of a book, and less so in the second half when I'm already captivated and involved in a story.

I'm not sure what to do about this other than less internet and more reading.
Read Deep Work by Cal Newport. Your diagnosis rings true to me - you have to relearn to focus after years of living with a little device whose goal is to steal your attention away as many times per day as it is able.

Requested from library. Thanks for the suggestion. :)

Learn to meditate (which is basically concentration with lots of added benefits).

If you don't want to use the religious practitioners to learn, you can try "The mindful geek". It is an interesting read too!

mm1970

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1228 on: September 05, 2018, 04:02:24 PM »
Quote
I'm curious how others are consuming their literature.  Do you prefer a Kindle or other electronic format or physical books?  Where do you like to read?  Do you have a certain place or time of day that is your primary reading zone?

I'm mostly back to paper books. I had a really long couple of year stretch on my old kindle - I loved it, and I had a lot of "free" books from Amazon.  Some that I paid $0.99 for.  Very enjoyable.

But, I like paper.  I really like being able to easily flip back to previous pages, and kindle doesn't lend itself to that very easily.  I also read right before bed, and would prefer to avoid the backlighting on my kindle fire.  I suppose I could go back to my really old kindle.

My husband probably reads 1/2 kindle and 1/2 paper.

Most of my books that I get now are either from our little free libraries in the 'hood, or from my Amazon wish list for birthdays.


Right now I'm reading "Under the Tuscan Sun" from the little free library.  A bit lighter than "Just Mercy".

mountain mustache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1229 on: September 23, 2018, 03:35:31 PM »
reading Under The Banner Of Heaven by Jon Krakauer right now. Only 30 pages in so far, it's interesting, but I'm not super into it.

next in line is Animal Dreams- Barbara Kingsolver. This is a re-read, because Barbara Kingsolver is the best, and I'll read everything she's written over and over again. Her writing just feels like home to me.


Reader

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1230 on: September 24, 2018, 09:16:27 AM »
Infinite Jest - about 100 pages in.  It might be a while before I finish, it's 1100 pages long!  And dense prose, not even close to light reading. 

Its very rare that I read a book and think "whoah, this dude is freaking smart".  But yeah, this dude is crazy smart.  And with a wicked sense of humor.
this led me to his "this is water" speech and the rest of his books. thanks!

i'm currently reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1231 on: September 24, 2018, 09:22:30 AM »
Just revisited David Brin. Finished "The Postman" and "Uplift war".

I am blown away by Brin's books (Startide rising is in my top 5 list), but he  can write some bad stuff too (Kiln People).

calimom

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1232 on: September 24, 2018, 07:45:56 PM »
I just finished Lessby Andrew Sean Greer. My book group had read The Confessions of Max Tivoli a few years ago. I loved this recent book! And apparently so did the Pulitzer committee because it won the prize. Highly recommend.

To respond to @TempusFugit 's query, I read 100% physical books. Mostly sourced from the library, but some from used bookstores, sharing with friends or like mm1970, Little Free Libraries. I try to get at least a half hour in bed at night, sometimes more, to read. And summer weekends, if nothing crazy is going on I'll read for an hour or two on the deck with a glass of cold tea; in colder months, it's by the fire with a cup of warm tea. That was next to impossible when my kids were small, but now they're older one or more will often join me.

Nothing against e-readers, I see their charms, especially for travel. I do love the feel and smell of actual dead tree books though.

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1233 on: September 24, 2018, 08:46:02 PM »
Finishing Wolf's The Right Stuff.    Im quite well read on the topic of the space program, but ill admit that with this book, I have learned more about the rocket plane program of the era.  Sounds like we did sort of abandon a very promising area in favor of the 'Spam in a Can' model. 

I own the dvd set of the old HBO mini series "From the Earth to the Moon" and now im looking frward to rewatching those.  Theyre excellent for anyone intersted in the subject.

I'm reading this is paperback format from ye olde library, and i have to say it does make my hands tired after about an hour of reading from a reclined position.  I think its more of an issue now that im a middle-aged progressive lense glasses wearer so the viewing angle is important.   

Will

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1234 on: September 24, 2018, 09:55:38 PM »
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2018, 09:48:31 PM by Will »

Luke Warm

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1235 on: September 25, 2018, 06:32:44 AM »
reading grapes of wrath. best book ever.
infinite jest was a slog but it was worth it. you have to get about 200 pages in before it starts to sorta make sense.

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1236 on: September 26, 2018, 07:57:55 AM »
I often forget why or how books get on my reading list.  I'm currently reading Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.  Only 12% in, but cannot for the life of me figure out how it ended up on my list.  It doesn't appear to have a plot and I've been learning about myself that....I like plots.  I can imagine that something about it being about a study of nature might have attracted me.  But, that's pretty vague

I've started to try to make a little note next to a book title on my reading list as to where the rec came from or why I am putting it on the list, which I hope will help me down the road, but this one didn't get that benefit.

I have An American Marriage by Tayari Jones next up on my kindle, so that's exciting.  Unfortunately, it's gonna take me a long time to get there because I have so little time to read until after the elections!

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1237 on: September 26, 2018, 12:59:22 PM »
Istanbul, by Thomas Madden.

It's on my bucket list and it's got a fascinating history.

Reader

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1238 on: October 01, 2018, 07:10:54 AM »
I'm toggling between two books at the moment -

Getting Things Done -  a Simple Guide To Become More Productive, Stress-Free, Get More Done in Less Time, and Be Highly Effective Today
by JONATHAN BRIGGS

Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less.
by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

both are recommendations from the mustachian book club

Noodle

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1239 on: October 19, 2018, 08:43:06 AM »
I am back at my project of trying to clear out some of the books I have accumulated on bookshelves and Kindle. Most recently, have finished "The Wilder Life" in which a woman who has always loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books decides to revisit her interest after her mother dies. It was a little more melancholy than I expected but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Also just finished "The Ugly Dachschund" by GB Stern which is a charming little 1930s book about a Great Dane who believes he is a dachschund. You have to take into account that there were definitely different attitudes in the 1930s to pet-owning (the owners clearly love their animals and take good care of them, but the ideas about best practices are different) but I enjoyed it.

Will

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1240 on: October 19, 2018, 12:18:13 PM »
Currently reading Boy Erased: A Memoir by Garrard Conley.

Just finished Sirens: A Novel (An Aiden Waits Thriller Book 1 by Joseph Knox.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2018, 09:47:55 PM by Will »

calimom

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1241 on: October 19, 2018, 07:27:57 PM »
I recently finished The Long Haul by Finn Murphy, lots of well written, fun detail about the life of a long distance mover. I heard him on NPR and wanted to read it.

Just cracked into Gone So Long by Andre Dubus lll. So far so good, several POVs and interesting novel.

jengod

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1242 on: October 19, 2018, 07:39:43 PM »
Retrosuburbia: The Downshifter's Guide to a Resilient Future by David Holmgren

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1243 on: October 20, 2018, 10:04:40 AM »
Just finished a collection of essays by Jonathan Franzen How to be Alone

Pretty good.  Not entirely sure how the title came about.  I did enjoy his writing enough to look for another of his novels at the library but it was out. 

Reader

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1244 on: October 20, 2018, 06:25:14 PM »
Not a book but a talk by Charles Munger. I found it insightful so i thought I'll share the link : https://fs.blog/a-lesson-on-worldly-wisdom/

Sugaree

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1245 on: October 20, 2018, 06:29:40 PM »
Dead End Girl.  A serial killer mystery.  It was in the Prime Library.  I've also got When the World Came to Town to read next.

tralfamadorian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1246 on: October 20, 2018, 07:15:52 PM »
The Anomaly. Fast, fun and scary, which is not a combination of descriptors I often use for a book. Highly recommended.

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1247 on: October 22, 2018, 01:19:48 PM »
I'm reading two books. One is General Grant's memoirs. We didn't study him much in school, so I wasn't aware that he had such a sense of humor, but he makes a couple of jokes here and there!

The other is about the Alhambra. Now I want to visit the Alhambra!

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1248 on: October 22, 2018, 03:47:58 PM »
I'm reading two books. One is General Grant's memoirs. We didn't study him much in school, so I wasn't aware that he had such a sense of humor, but he makes a couple of jokes here and there!

The other is about the Alhambra. Now I want to visit the Alhambra!

The context in which Grant wrote his memoirs is pretty tragic. Having gone broke after his presidency and dying from cancer, he needed the money from his memoirs to provide for his family.   It's considered to be the best military history of the Civil War.  I have it but it's sadly one of the many 'going to get around to reading it one day' books that sit on my shelves.

grantmeaname

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1249 on: October 23, 2018, 04:15:41 PM »
It's okay, I got reincarnated and I'll make different mistakes the second time. No cigars, for one...

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!